(no subject)

[thefifthmonarch]

If you had the ability to time travel, would you go back in time and kill Adolf Hitler?

Please why or why not.

And for students, this is extra credit towards my psychology course.

Comments

[keepersouha.livejournal.com]

Mn... It would be a difficult decision, but I would ultimately think "no".

It's been... Over half a century, since World War II occurred, yes? How much would go and change as a result of their death, with just that event not happening? Where would the world be right now? While some might want to stop such an event, I would rather time at least take its' current course, instead of altering it as such.

Of course, one has to honestly wonder what would happen if he did die... It's all very interesting, really.

[becomeanwarrior.livejournal.com]

No.

Without Hitler, there's the very real possibility that World War II would have never occured. Without World War II, the world at large would be far less technologically advanced than we know today. While avoiding World War II in an alternate timeline would seem like a good idea, it would effecticly cripple technology to the point where we would have to wait another twenty years or so for the technological advanced we would have were it not for pre-emptive Hitler assassination via time travel.

[pureplainpatron.livejournal.com]

No. While the losses were tragic, World War II is ultimately what brought the world out of the world wide depression experienced during that age, and was instrumental in giving us inventions like the computer, and atomic energy. Not only that, but it spurred a drastic change in the mindset of many countries around the world, especially Japan. The fact we live in the information era is largely due in thanks to that war, and the subsequent cold war.

Though it's very likely that some or all of these advances would have eventually occurred, only an idiot would assume that it would be as advanced as we are. Humans advance under pressure. The depression would have hindered if not outright suffocated computer research for some time if the war had not provided funding for the project. The internet itself developed partially in thanks to the military, as well... due to the importance of communication during the cold war.

There are other issues, but I think that will do.

[weavethebonds.livejournal.com]

No, as it's extremely likely going back in time with the explicit purpose of changing something and then doing so would cause an irreconcilable paradox which would cause the universe to be torn asunder.

[captain-kidd14.livejournal.com]

Sure, why not, if you can stop a bad thing from happening then you should do everything in your power to do so.

[bluelapizlazuli.livejournal.com]

... No. Time travel usually messes things up more. Without the knowledge that humanity could do even worse than what was done in World War I, some of the current institutions and global laws that exist today would not have come into being.